American Gladiators/In Popular Culture
In the 1991 comedy film Livin' Large!, a brief promo for the show can be seen and heard in the studio TV of News 4 prior to Dexter Jackson's (played by Terrence "T.C." Carson) first on-the-air broadcast job. In the sitcom Family Matters, a September 18, 1992 episode called "Surely You Joust", Steve Urkel (played by Jaleel White) & Carl Winslow (played by Reginald Vel Johnson) competed in a episode of American Gladiators. In a December 1992 issue of MAD magazine, American Gladiators was spoofed as American Radiators. In the 1993 parody film Hot Shots! Part Deux both Ramada Thompson and Michelle Rodham Huddleston (played by Valeria Golino and Brenda Bakke respectively) competed in challenges from American Gladiators some of them were for example: The Eliminator and Joust. Hot_Shots!_Part_Deux_AG_Spoof_1.png Hot_Shots!_Part_Deux_AG_spoof_2.png Hot_Shots!_Part_Deux_AG_spoof_3.png Hot_Shots!_Part_Deux_AG_spoof_4.png Hot_Shots!_Part_Deux_AG_spoof_5.png Hot_Shots!_Part_Deux_AG_spoof_6.png Hot_Shots!_Part_Deux_AG_spoof_7.png A June 23, 1993 episode of Beavis and Butt-Head called "Babes R Us" both Beavis & Butt-Head are watching American Gladiators at the their house. A 1994 episode of Taz-Mania called "The Not So Gladiators", both Taz and Jean watch an episode of Grub Gladiators and then compete on the show. Taz-Mania_Taz_and_Jean_watch_Grub_Gladiators.png Grub_Gladiators.png In the sitcom Ellen, a March 1, 1995 episode somewhat appropriately titled "Gladiators" the titular character Ellen Morgan (played by Ellen DeGeneres) was a contender for the show. While preparing for the show, she fell in love with Dan "Nitro" Clark, (one of the "Gladiators") but love turn to hate when female gladiator Lori "Ice" Fetrick tried to mess it up. So when Ellen learned that she'll face Ice in "Joust", that's what gave her the opportunity to "cream" Ice for butting in. Nitro tried to forgive Ellen, but he got whacked by her with the "pugil stick" too. Ellen was later disqualified, but she got an American Gladiators hat as a souvenir. On a March 8, 1996 episode of the short-lived variety show Muppets Tonight, one of their programs that is being listed on the KMUP station line-up chart is American Radiators. A parody film of American Gladiators called American Flatulators was a "straight to VHS" released on April 17, 1996; click on the "references" page for the description of the film.American Flatulators (1996) An October 19, 1996 episode of Animaniacs spoofs the show as Amazing Gladiators. In the 1997 comedy film Good Burger Dexter Reed (played by Kenan Thompson) referenced the title of the show by saying this line: "What is this, American Gladiators?" In the 2002 Looney Tunes video game Taz: Wanted, a boss battle against Daffy Duck plays out very similarly to the Atlasphere game. in 2005, American Gladiators was mentioned and shown as part of a 1992 episode on VH1's I Love the 90s: Part Deux. On an August 7, 2008 episode of the short-lived comedic reality competition series Reality Bites Back, it spoofed the show as Almost American Gladiators this was based on the NBC version at the time. In the 2008 spoof (originally August 29, 2008) film flop Disaster Movie, the short-lived NBC version was briefly spoofed where in the year 10,001 B.C., a caveman named Will (played by Matt Lanter) runs away from a predator through a plain and immediately gets into a fight with Wolf (played by Ike Barinholtz of MAD TV fame) and defeating him. In a February 1, 2009 episode of Robot Chicken called "But Not in That Way" the short-lived 2008 NBC revival was briefly spoofed as American Gladiators: Crossing the Boarder where the gladiators are heading to Mexico. In a April 26, 2009 episode of Sonny With a Chance called "Sonny and the Studio Brat" one of the posters called "Tween Gladiators" was a spoof of the short-lived 2008 NBC revival. ADDITIONAL NOTE: There was also a spoof of the poster for Deal or No Deal called Meal or no Meal. A 2011 episode of Tosh.0 called "Foul Ball Couple", the couple named Bo "the Bailer" Wyble and his Ex Sara Saco-Vertiz competed on American Gladiators during their web redemption. In the 2012 comedy-drama film Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, a brief clip of American Gladiators can be seen on TV. The 2014 episode of Workaholics called "Friendship Anniversary", American Gladiators was briefly spoofed as a backyard game called American Gladia-Ders. The 2015 episode of The Goldbergs called "Just Say No", a clip of American Gladiators can be briefly seen on TV when Barry Goldberg (played by Troy Gentile) is totally obsessed with the show. The_Goldbergs_Just_Say_No_American_Gladiators_1.png The_Goldbergs_Just_Say_No_American_Gladiators_2.png The_Goldbergs_Just_Say_No_American_Gladiators_3.png References Category:American Gladiators Category:In Popular Culture